The manufacturers of the door plug that blew out of a jetliner last week have used their deep pockets and connections in Washington, DC, to reduce safety regulations, pressure federal officials, and boost production after two previous crashes and other safety incidents, records show.

The campaign donations, lobbying money, and regulatory waivers underscore critics’ assertions that Boeing and its long-time parts supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, have used their political influence in both parties to endanger air passengers.

Last week’s high-altitude debacle — in which a door plug manufactured by Spirit blew off an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight over Portland, Oregon — followed two Boeing aircraft crashes in 2018 and 2019 that together killed 346 people, and another fatal incident in 2018 that saw a woman partially sucked out of a plane when a small engine explosion shattered a window.